If I had to name the biggest mistake we make when selling, it’s that we do not get in the mind of the buyer. We tend to be so focused on what a cool product we have; all the bells and whistles; and we pay so little attention to what the buyer is thinking and feeling.

I recently had a great conversation with Jill Konrath, author of Snap Selling. Jill shared advice on how hungry entrepreneurs can catch the attention of potential buyers. In today’s world, people are so busy that they go through email and voicemail as fast as possible to delete, delete, delete! So how do you catch someone’s attention, make them stop in their tracks and really consider your product/service?

You want the buyer to say “that’s interesting…tell me more.” Jill explains The Buyer’s Matrix and talks about the factors that decision-makers use to filter through these sales messages:

1. Is this relevant?
2. Is this a priority?
3. Does the sales person provide value?
4. Is it simple or complex?

This sounds simple. But do you really answer these questions from the buyer’s perspective before you get on the phone or send that email? If you did you may re-think your standard pitch for selling because most likely it’s getting deleted so fast it’ll make your head spin. Learn how you can get in the mindset of the buyer, how you can build a valuable email database, and how ultimately, you as the seller are more important than the product you are providing. Take a listen.

The Author

Robert Jordan is an Inc. 500 CEO and founded Online Access, the first Internet-coverage magazine in the world. After the sale of Online Access, Jordan launched two companies: RedFlash, an interim management team; and interimCEO/interimCFO, a worldwide network for interim, contract, and project executives.

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